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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29944911">Theseus, Fare Thee Well</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cardinalnorth/pseuds/Cardinalnorth'>Cardinalnorth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Feels, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Evil Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Explicit Language, Fist Fights, Fluff, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This While Listening to Hozier's Music, I have to tag that because I wrote this and it got decanonized THE NEXT DAY, I heard Tommy as Theseus on Nov 16th and I POUNCED, Insane Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), L - Freeform, Manipulation, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, Other, Physical Abuse, References to Ancient Greek Religion &amp; Lore, Reunions, Sad Wilbur Soot, Spoilers for March 1st’s stream, Tommy got beaten to death, but I’m not that mad lol because a certain someone is alive, i just like mythology ok, if Tommy is Theseus guess who Dream is, it’s Tommy what do you expect, just a little bit of it but it’s there nonetheless, no beta we die like tommy, prisons, speaking of which</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:01:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,141</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29944911</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cardinalnorth/pseuds/Cardinalnorth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy’s hero’s journey comes to an abrupt end, in a obsidian prison cell, trapped with a violent god.<br/>But was he ever a hero in the first place?<br/>And does his journey really end?</p><p>Spoilers for the stream on March 1st.</p><p>TWs in notes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Theseus, Fare Thee Well</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So...<br/>Have some angst. It’s all I serve. It’s short, so sorry about that, and it’s not my best work, but I hope you enjoy anyways! Leave a comment if you want, to let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome!</p><p>TWs: references to past abuse, manipulation, blood, death, and mild gore (since Tommy literally gets beaten to death.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">How long had it been since Tommy last saw sunlight?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The lava and the pulsing glowstone were the only sources of light within the obsidian walls of the prison cell. Some parts of the dark, glassy stone were threaded through with tiny purple streams. The streams dripped down onto the cold floor, before evaporating seconds after.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Plit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Plat.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Plit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Plat.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Plit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Plat.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Did Theseus go mad?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy felt that he would soon.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He tried not to look at the man in the cell with him, the man with a face that he finally could associate with the name.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"><em>More like Nightmare,</em> </span>
  <span class="s1">Tommy had thought on a couple occasions. He stopped those trains of through before they could get anywhere, though, out of the albeit irrational but still very real fear that Dream could read minds. Or something.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One would think that, once stripped of the disturbing white mask with the smile and the glimmering netherite armor and weapons, Dream would be less terrifying. That was not the case. Although Tommy could see Dream’s face, he was still masked in a way. His poison-green eyes revealed nothing, and his mouth was fixed either in a neutral line or an unsettling smile uncannily similar to the one on his mask.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Tommy wasn’t scared, no. He saw Dream for what he was. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">A sad little man.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy finally figured it out. He was proud of himself for it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And he gave Dream a piece of his mind.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Watching the man’s eyes start to simmer with rage wasn’t scary, it was satisfying. Tommy wasn’t scared anymore. He didn’t have to be.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He said something particularly vitriolic and Dream’s fist flew out, catching him on the cheek. It hurt, but Tommy smiled, just to show him how unfazed he was.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"><em>Yeah, bitch.</em> </span>
  <span class="s1">He thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Get a taste of your own medicine. Feel completely powerless, like you made me feel.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy had never understood why Techno had called him Theseus. From what he had heard, Theseus was a hero. A tragic one, to be sure, but still a hero. Tommy never felt like that.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Until now.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He kept talking, enjoying seeing the anger shadow Dream’s face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Dream hit him again, and he ignored it, knowing he was being the bigger man by doing so. Wilbur had always told him that by resorting to your enemy’s violent ways you became no better than them. He didn’t believe it then, but now it all clicked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Wilbur, you taught me well. </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">He thought, triumphant, because if his brother saw him now, he knows he would be proud. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He felt like he could kill a god.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He said so.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And then Dream snapped, kicking him </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">hard </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">against the wall of the prison- Tommy thought he felt a rib break- and then coming at him fists flying and teeth bared like an animal. Tommy felt the first glimmers of fear. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Those glimmers grew into something larger when Dream’s fist connected with the side of his head, which was knocked into the cold, hard wall.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Two hearts, </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">he yelled desperately, </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">two hearts, </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">he didn’t want to die-</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">To his surprise, Dream backed off. The obsidian behind Tommy was bloody. He clutched his side, and </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">yeah, </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">his rib had to be broken. He gritted his teeth against the pain, blood coming in a warm trickle from his temple.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he would get out soon.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He said that to Dream, how he wasn’t about to die trapped inside a prison cell with a weak, fallen god.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Speaking of death, the resurrection book was something that Tommy knew was a lie, because Dream was a liar. He told him that as well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That was his last mistake.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next thing he knew, one of Dream’s hands was around his neck and the other was punching his head over and over, and he couldn’t breathe, and </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">oh prime, </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">he was going to die, he didn’t want to die- but the pain was white-hot and only getting stronger, he tried to make words come out of his bloodied mouth-</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was too late.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The glowstone light started to fade, and the last thing Tommy saw before it all went dark was Dream’s crazed smile- which was more of a triumphant grimace- and his glowing green eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He should have been afraid sooner.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If Tommy was Theseus, then Dream was Lycomedes, the cruel, power-hungry king. Theseus was just beginning to truly be loved-</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And Lycomedes snuffed him out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Because only he could have the power, over Theseus and all the others.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy never got to die like a hero.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">—=—</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Theseus- </span>
  <span class="s2">Tommy- </span>
  <span class="s1">opens his eyes to see... nothing. The absence of color. It is not cold, but it isn’t warm either.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’s dead.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The realization makes him scream, and he half expects not to even be able to hear it in the blankness of... the afterlife? Is that what it is?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But his scream rings out, hoarse and painful.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Will he be alone there for the rest of eternity?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He never said goodbye to Tubbo.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’s not ready to die.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sinks to his knees- although there is no visible ground for him to kneel on- and stares at nothing. He can’t live like this, he can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">die </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">like this.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tommy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looks up.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It’s Wilbur, wearing a yellow sweater and a painful, sad smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And Tommy thinks briefly that dying is worth it if he gets to see his brother again.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy jumps up and hugs him, and Wilbur doesn’t say a word, just holds him close. Tommy knows he knows what happened.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There is no time in the afterlife, but if there was they would have stayed there for hours. Then Wilbur spoke.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t deserve this.” He said quietly. “You’re 16, I thought- I thought I would watch you grow </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">old</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1"><em>,</em> you still had so much ahead of you, you weren’t like me- I’m so, so sorry, Tommy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not your fault.” He mutters, face buried in Wilbur’s soft sweater. “It’s that green bastard. I said I wasn’t scared. I should have been scared, I wasn’t brave, I was just an idiot, and now I’m gone, and I never said goodbye to Tubbo or anyone-“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tommy cuts himself off with a sob.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know.” Wilbur murmurs. “I know. I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And Techno still hates me, I know it. So does Phil, probably, and I never got the chance to make stuff right with them. And now I’m stuck here, with you-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He feels Wilbur breathe in sharply.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that, Wilby-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know, Tommy, it’s okay.” His brother says warmly, but there is something sadder behind it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There is a long silence.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I missed you.” Tommy says, more quietly than he’s ever spoken. “And I miss all of them already.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t think you’ll have to for long.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?”</span>
</p>
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